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| source: city-data.com |
So what do I do? Play around in the kitchen until I mastered the filling. Like, not to brag or anything, but I found a combination that tastes almost exactly like the real deal. So - I'm gonna share it with you guys.
First, keep in mind that this is not a healthy recipe. Delicious, but not healthy in the least. You can definitely make changes to the recipe to get a less-fattening result - such as baking instead of frying, omitting the sausage grease (more on that in a second) and finding healthier ingredients. With that said though, this is pretty close to the scrumptious artery-clogging delectables that I love so much.
Before I get into the actual recipe though - I have to tell you guys about this awesome invention that just makes pocket-type foods so much easier to make. Kuhn Rikon sent me their Pocket Maker Set to review, and this has to be one of the coolest things ever. They come in three shapes: a circle, a heart, and a flower. You just press it onto your dough once you put the filling in, and voila! You have a perfectly shaped and sealed pocket-food. It comes with an awesome recipe guide for everything from pot pies to dessert pies, and all kinds of other yummy-sounding stuff!
Now with the pizza puffs, the originals are made wrapped in a tortilla and deep-fried. The tortilla envelope kept falling apart on me so to change it up some, I rolled the dough out and used Kuhn Rikon's circle pocket maker. First I pressed the cutter into the dough to see where the filling should go, then i topped it with another circle, pressed down on the button, and then they were perfectly sealed and ready to go into the deep-fryer!
Tortilla Recipe
2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon lard
3/4 cup warm water
1. combine the dry ingredients
2. cut in the lard
3. add water all at once and mix with your hands, kneading as you go
this should make an elastic-y dough that holds together well as a ball.
4. roll out onto a floured surface
5. use the Pocket Maker to cut out your circles. This recipe made about 16 circles for me - enough for 8 pizza puffs.
Filling
8 ounces cooked and crumbled mild sausage (1/2 package of sausage)
6 ounces tomato paste
2 tablespoons fennel seed
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
1. After you have cooked the sausage, save about a tablespoon of the fat from the pan and put the sausage into a food processor.
2. Add in the other ingredients and pulse until mixture resembles a paste. If too crumbly, add in the tablespoon of sausage grease to better hold it together
Assembly
Now here's the fun part. Add about a tablespoon of filling to half of the circles that you cut out and use an egg wash to make the top circle stick. Grab the Pocket Maker again and place on top of your circles, pressing the button on top. Lift and check out the cool little seal it put on!
I put these in the deep fryer (350°) for about 5 minutes, flipping once, or until they were golden brown. Enjoy!
This post is sponsored by Kuhn Rikon and written by me. I received the aforementioned product in exchange for this post. No other compensation was received. All opinions are my own.
